History of Coming of Age Films.

Learning Comment:

This task has allowed me to look at a wide range of "Coming of Age" films and compare them to each other. It also allowed me to see what was common between the films and what elements in particular made up a "Coming of Age" film. In the past coming of age films had memorable and inspirational opening sequences, which were able to engage the target audience from the start and keep them entertained throughout the film. The main target audiences for coming of age films are teenagers aged between 13 and 19, due to the term coming of age. It demonstrates how young people are transitioning from childhood into adulthood and the struggles, which they may have to overcome. These struggles are often presented in a light hearted and comical manor, so not to make the audience feel awkward or bored. This genre of film is relatable, as it could happen to any of the target audience members, which allows the narrative of the films to touch upon uneasy subjects, such as teen pregnancy and bullying.  In coming of age films the main protagonist is always a teenager, which helps you to identify what sort of films are classed as coming of age. This is often shown in the opening sequence along with the narrative of the film.

I know that John Hughes is a very popular director for this genre, especially during the 1980’s. A more modern director would be Jason Reitman and Mark Waters. So when I am creating my own opening sequence I will look at their work and find inspiration for my own. I will also make sure that the main protagonist is of a similar age to the target audience, between 13 and 19, so that it is relatable for them.